Activated glial cells contribute to the development and maintenance of several disease states. Of particular interest is the negative impact of activated glial cells in the areas of chronic and acute pain, inflammatory disorders, autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. Glial cells have been shown to express numerous Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are a family of highly conserved transmembrane proteins of high functional importance in the innate immune system. TLRs are activated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from bacterial cell walls, unmethylated CpG-containing DNA of viruses, and a wide variety of additional microbial components. Activation of TLRs in the central nervous system is known to initiate protective pro-inflammatory signaling cascades as part of the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Additionally, it has been reported that chronic administration of morphine or other opioid-receptor agonists activates glial cells, causing the release of pro-inflammatory factors that counter the pain-relieving effects of the opioid. Activated glial cells have also been shown to play a role in driving chronic pain states such as neuropathic pain. Given these newly identified roles for glial cells in pain, there is a need for the development of clinically useful agents that target glial cell activation as a means of pain control.